The Man Who Sold Mars (13 page)

George added.  “Not much.  But somewhat. 
The greater distance and longer transit are the greatest problems.”

I explained.  “The physics is complicated
and simple.  “It’s a paradox of sorts.  For us, leaving later under these
parameters guarantees a shorter trip and earlier arrival.

“The planets don’t follow circular orbits
around the Sun; they’re actually travelling in ellipses, like two cars
travelling at different speeds on two different racetracks.

“Sometimes they’re at their closest point
to the Sun, a perihelion, and at other times they’re at the furthest point from
the Sun, aphelion. To get the closest point between Earth and Mars, you need to
imagine a situation where Earth and Mars are located on the same side of the
Sun.   Furthermore, you want a situation where Earth is at aphelion, at its
most distant point from the Sun, and Mars is at perihelion, the closest point
to the Sun.  Under this optimal situation, the
minimum distance from Earth to Mars
is about 54.6 million kilometers. The farthest apart they can be is about 401
million km and the average distance is about 225 million km.

“So, the greater
the distance between the two.  The longer the transit.”

Tot was optimistic we could use physics
to our advantage. “We have an advantage in that we can launch earlier and with
reduced weight and by allowing longer burn times on the boosters we can use all
this for a speed advantage over the S-Prometheus.”

I added.  “Plus our engines will be much,
much faster.  They don’t know we’re coming.  So they won’t redesign the
engineering plant for greater speed.”

Tatyana made a note.  “I’ll put our propulsion
people on that.”

Gardner asked.  “How much of a staff do
we have?”

I grinned.  “Probably all.  I’m going to
double the salaries of all who come to work for us on our “new venture” and
given them a year’s signing bonus.

“Quadruple their salaries if you have
too”.  George smiled.  “That will bring our talent back to us where they belong
and put our usurpers even further behind.”  And he made a more than valid
point.  “But preventing us from launching is an option they have and I have no
doubt they will consider it when they become aware of our plans.”

I’d thought about that too.  “We will not
show our hand in advance.  So, we’ll launch robotic mining missions of the same
payload and shape as our Prometheus to the Moon.”

Gardner saw where I was going.  “Set up a
regular schedule of launches—“

And so did Tot, “And one day one will be
irregular in payload.”

And Kevin, “Precisely.”

George expressed a major concern, “Those
are huge payloads for the moon and too easy for them to see we’re not using
them or using most of them.”

Selena too was wary, “They’ll suspect
something.”

I wasn’t worried, “We’ll find a public
reason.  A massive mining operation on the dark side of the moon.”

Hemmingson’s voice came from one of the
papers.  “Sorry, but the dark side of the moon is off limits.  That’s where the
aliens are who told us we couldn’t come back until 2025.  I’ll tell you more
later.”

We laughed.

“I’m serious.”

We laughed some more and Hemmingson went
back to “work” and so did we.

Tot grinned, loving the challenges of the
project and overcoming them.  “With the lunar launches, we can work out the
kinks in the booster system.  We can reconfigure some of the massive Soviet 100
megaton solid propellant Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles for booster
rockets.  They’re all over the place and in pretty decent condition.  We can
use a more powerful liquid propellant.  The old U.S. space shuttle boosters may
be an option too.  They’re selling them for salvage and giving them away to
museums.  And the technology to make both are readily available if needed.  We
have so much to do and so little time.”

I was more than confident we could do
it.  “Rome wasn’t built in a day.  But it could be.”

George held up his glass to toast and we
joined him.

“Cheers.”

Along with Hemmingson and his friends. 
“Cheers”

We all laughed.

Tot was loving this so much, she was
glowing, and looking for more, “In time, we’ll develop our own heavy boosters—“

And Kevin, “And a space station.”

And Gardner, “With shuttles and a dock.”

Hemmingson spoke from a paper, “Don’t
forget hotels”

I asked, “Hotels?” realizing that was the
answer as the word left my mouth.

Hemmingson’s voice moved to a paper in
front of Selena, “We need to shore up, well boost our share prices.  They took
a tumble.”

She answered him back, “Like us.”

Hemingson continued.  “Yep.  We need to
get back in the news in a good way.  And we need to explain why we’re sending
tremendous amounts of material to the “light side” of the moon.”

Kevin saw the future and was loving it. 
“Lunar tourism.”

And Gardner, “Can you imagine how much
Hilton
would pay to manage the first hotel on the moon?”

George added.   “Or
Hyatt, Marriott,
Nikko, Microsoft, McDonald’s
and
Google for that matter
.”

Hemmingson spoke from a paper in front of
Tot, “And how much people would pay to go?  Hey Tot.  I don’t know why.  But
every time I see you, I always think of milk.”

She laughed, “Funny.” and her laughter
joined all the waitresses now sitting and drinking away with Hemmingson and his
two new friends.

Kevin was mentally doing the math,
“They’re paying over $20 million just to ride into space”?

Selena made a very good point, “And
there’s the ocean too.  We can build the prototype for the first lunar hotel on
the ocean floor.”

Hemmingson was seeing his paradise. 
“Include a casino and some two legged entertainment.”

The Asian waitress said through a paper,
“Just two.”

Hemmingson corrected himself, “I mean
four.  Math was not my strong suit.  BUT!!!  I once did it with this woman who
had no legs.  That was—“

I cut him off.  “Mr. Hemmingson.  We’re
empire building right now.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Not a problem.”

Gardner’s wheels were spinning, “And we’ll
have two of the trendiest hot spots in the world.”

Tot joked, “And out of it.”

And we and the papers laughed.

Hemmingson said from a paper in front of
Selena.  “OK.  We are back to normal.  Let’s do this—Hey Selena.  I meant to
mention earlier.  You’re glowing.  You have that look like you’ve been freshly fu—“

Blushing she crumpled the paper and brushed
it onto the floor and we lost his words as they rustled to the ground, but we
all knew what they were.

From another paper on the table, as well
as the one on the floor we heard Hemmingson.  “Hey, Selena.  Burgundy.  Yum”

She turned beat red, slammed her legs
shut, stood up, and picked up the paper from the floor in front of her as we
struggled to keep our laughter in.

Playing but not, she said.  “I think
somebody’s back to abnormal.”

Hemmingson laughed and we joined him.

An Anchor sat in the
Bloomberg News
studio, talking to the audience while airing video displaying computer
generated prototypes of Young Sea Resources’, YSeR, mineral harvesting
techniques, equipment, and infrastructure.

“Young Stellar Resources’ stocks were
buoyed by its announcement of the formation of its subsidiary, Young Sea Resources. 
The division will not only be charged with exploration of the seas’ mineral
wealth, it will develop large scale aquaculture farms and undersea resorts. 
For more on the subject we go to Erica Dalby.”

The camera moved through an impoverished
New York City neighborhood stopping at the steps of PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole where
Selena, looking classic, beautiful, and regal addressed the press before her. 
On the video below her a caption read, “Selena Luce Board of Directors YSeR, Young
Sea Resources”.

Erica Dalby, reporting, mic in hand told
her audience, “Today, at what was formally New York City’s PS 32, Public School
32
Samuel Mills Sprole
School
, YSR made
announcements continuing to demonstrate the resiliency and resolve that has
made it the darling of Wall Street.”

On cue, Selena beamed and spoke, “
Harrah’s
Casinos resorts will manage, Young Sea Resources’, YSeR’s first undersea
resort.”

Video played of architectural renderings
and a computer generated model of the
Harrah’s
Casino Resort complex as
it would appear underwater, lit by multi-colored lighting, amidst a wealth of
aquatic life, submerged attractions, divers working and playing and submarines
of various types and sizes from individual subs, cruise subs, tugs, utility,
supply, large military, . . .arriving, offloading, onloading, playing, . . .
departing.

Selena continued, “Young Sea Resources’, YSeR’s
Kamilla will be the ultimate playground of the rich and famous.  An opulent 100
room casino.  The most exclusive place under the stars and seas.  Young Stellar
Resources’, YSR’s, first lunar resort and casino, Luna Prime, is expected to be
completed within a year of Kamilla.”

Video played of architectural renderings
and a computer generated model of the Luna Prime casino resort complex as it
would appear, lit by multi-colored prismatic lighting, amidst various
attractions, space suited clad people working and playing and various types, of
surface and aerial vehicles arriving, offloading, onloading, playing, . . . departing.”

A news correspondent asked Selena, “Why
would you make such an announcement amidst one of the most impoverished
neighborhoods in New York City?”

Selena grinned, “I’d like to tell you,
but then Stephen Young would have nothing to say at his press conference
inside.”

Video played, showing me standing on the
elementary school stage with a large scale model of my sea resort on one side
and my lunar resort on the other.  In the front row, the other players of YSR,
looking dignified, Selena, Tot, George, Kevin, Gardner and even Hemmingson who
as monogamous as he could possibly be was sitting book ended by his Asian and
European princesses who’d long ago gone from waitresses to sugar babies.

I addressed the audience, “The stars and
the seas are our destinations.  These children are our future.  The resorts are
our first step to playing in the oceans and stars.  Not much later we will
begin living there with permanent colonies.  All of this ties into why I’m here
today to award Jeannette Jones a four year all expenses paid scholarship to the
university of her choice, followed by the graduate program of her choice for
providing the name of our launch complex from which, we will develop our lunar
enterprise.  She and her classmates near and extended provided a number of
excellent choices, but we thought hers was the most appropriate.  It’s your
turn Jeannette.”

Jeannette Jones, a very shy school girl
walked up to the front of the auditorium, joining me.

A news correspondent on the stage near me
held a mic to young Ms. Jones, “Jeannette, please tell us your winning name.”

She blushed and said, “Eden.  Because
that’s where we all came from.”

I applauded and everyone joined me.

Amidst the applause I presented her with
a gigantic certificate nearly as long as she was tall, evidencing her award and
the applause thundered.  Blushing uncontrollably the girl accepted it, shook my
hand and nearly ran off the stage.

Grinning I continued, “Today, Jeannette
Jones made all her classmates a winner.  The New York City school board has
allowed me to adopt and like Jeannette Jones rename her school.  It is now,
Young Stellar Resource’s PS 32
Samuel
Mills Sprole School
.”

The audience applauded.

“If we wanted to, Young Stellar Resources
could have its name plastered on stadiums around the world where wealthy
athletes and entertainers perform for billions whom can afford the ticket
prices.  But these children truly are our future.  They are a resource to be
developed just like the seas and stars.  Excuse me.  They are a very precious
resource to be developed even more so than the seas and stars.  They are a
commitment that I hope our corporate brothers and sisters will join in as they
adopt schools of their own. And like YSR, join our pledge to continually put
our resources into this school and neighborhood and a plethora of others world-wide
to ensure that whatever star these children reach for, be it literal or
figurative, they will grasp it and in turn reach for others beyond it.”

The audience exploded with more applause.

Over the coast of India, helicopter rotor
blades in flight, reverberated in the sky as a helicopter emblazoned with the YSR
insignia skimmed over the waters of India’s coast, approaching its shoreline
where a massive compound was unfolding at an amazing pace.